Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

I know you want to hear all about the New York Burlesque Festival and I will tell you all about it, but first I want to talk about load in for The Wrathskellar.

Brigitte, Stella, and I were late to the theatre. We’d gone to Brigitte’s salon to have her stylist design hairstyles for us and give us tutorials. All I’m going to say is that I should be a whiz at pincurls by the time the show is over.

We’ve played the Davis Square Theatre before, so we knew what to expected when we got there. Except we didn’t. The place was a disaster. Mylar confetti strips, spilled beer, broken light bulbs, empty cans & bottles (mostly cheap beer, some energy drinks), guitar picks, abandoned umbrellas, overflowing trash cans, broken drum sticks, mouse droppings, and just general trash. And our people had been cleaning for almost 2 hours before we got there. So much for the “broom clean” our contract specified.

Of course, because we are glamourous burlesque dancers with smashing hairdos, we got right to work, scraping mylar off the floor (it likes to stick, especially when beer is involved) and other less than savory items. Meanwhile the tech crew were hanging lights, building the stage, and creating the “backstage” areas (they’re part of the set that the audience can visit before the show and during intermission).

It was much better by the time we left for rehearsal, and when *we* load out the place will be more than ready for the next show. I can’t believe anyone thought it was all right to leave the place in that condition.

Dear Constant Reader,

We’ve been having a wonderful time presenting The Wrathskellar and it’s easy to wax enthusiastic about the cast — they’re the visible presence (quite visible, some of them) on stage. Right now, I’d like to take a few moments to talk about the crew.

First, there’s our stage manager, Mr. Bergeron. He’s responsible for moving set pieces around and making sure props are where they are supposed to be. Plus wrangling volunteers and occasionally picking up clothing. He also plays Hans, The Wrathskellar’s stage manager. Not only is he making sure all our things are in the right place, he also has to hit his cues! He has a vital role in our plot and is integral to one of the acts.

Sam is the newest member of our crew and what a jewel she’s turned out to be! You might have noticed her, in vest and cap, discretely playing the music during the show. What is less apparent is that she designed the audio set-up for the theatre. There is sound all over the place, including the hallway leading to the bathroom. At certain parts of the show, the music moves across the space as the performers do. Listen for it.

And then there’s Hunter, our technical director a.k.a. The Lighting Guy. He’s been with us since the beginning and has worked on almost every major show (and has attended most of the minor ones). Lighting is one of those very tricky things, and it’s even trickier on this show. The lighting has to set just the right mood and we use a number of special effects. Not to mention we’re doing this in a converted storefront, not a theatre! The challenges are really quite amazing. Usually when I arrive at theatre, he’s already there, tweaking a light, changing a gel, working for perfection.

Thank you all. We could not do this without you.

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s hard to believe that only two weeks ago we walked into a gutted storefront full of construction debris. Tonight we open the door on The Wrathskellar, our disreputable tavern…

Dear Constant Reader,

As I may have mentioned, the life of a burlesque diva is not all champagne and rhinestones. Sometimes it’s downright dirty, and not in a fun way.

The Boston Babydolls are preparing for our annual halloween show The Wrathskellar (do you have your tickets yet?). This year, instead of asking you to believe that a nice theatre is a disreputable tavern, we’re building an entire custom performance space. How cool is that?

The space is a gutted storefront, basically a construction site. Lots of exposed studs and bricks, broken drywall, bare lightbulbs. It’s perfect for creating our dark, distressed cabaret. However, did I mention it’s a construction site with all the associate paraphernalia that entails?

And that’s why I spent my Saturday piling up a mountain of shredded fiberglas insulation for disposal. And then sweeping dirt, and sweeping sawdust, and sweeping bent nails. At least I have stylish purple work gloves.